ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Wednesday took oath as federal minister in newly elected Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s cabinet.
President Arif Alvi administered the oath to the PPP leader at Aiwan-e-Sadr. However, there was no immediate official confirmation about Bilawal’s portfolio.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif witnessed the oath-taking ceremony, which was also attended by former president Asif Ali Zardari, ex-prime ministers Yousuf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, and a large number of parliamentarians.
The close family members of Bilawal Bhutto including his sister Aseefa Bhutto and maternal aunt Sanam Bhutto – the sister of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, also attended the ceremony.
Bilawal Bhutto joined the cabinet in the third phase of its formation as the earlier swearing-in ceremonies were taken place on April 19 and April 22.
The new cabinet reflects the political mix of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League-Q and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).
On Tuesday, Bilawal announced that he will take oath today (Wednesday) in a press conference after a meeting of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC).
Bilawal was present at the time when the initial federal cabinet members took an oath, however, he did not take the oath. But Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb had assured that the PPP chairman would take the oath after he returns to Pakistan from his London trip.
